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| STRICTLY EMBARGOED 9AM 6 MARCH 2009 |
| Groundbreaking woman recognised for resource sector achievements | |
A Gladstone woman who had to fight legislation that prevented women from working in underground mines has been recognised for her significant contribution to the minerals and energy sector in Queensland.
Sandra Collins, one of only two women to have managed a mine in Queensland, was today awarded the prestigious Resources Award for Women (RAW) by Her Excellency the Governor of Queensland Ms Penelope Wensley AO.
The awards are presented annually by the Queensland Resources Council, the peak body for the state’s resources sector at its International Women’s Day breakfast in Brisbane.
The event attracted more than 500 people from throughout the state’s resource sector regions.
Sandra was the first woman to study mining engineering in Queensland and only the second in Australia. And, to her knowledge, was the first female mining engineer to actually work in the mining industry in the country.
In 1985 while working in metalliferous mine in Cobar NSW, she fought for and gained an exemption from state legislation that prevented women from working underground so that she could work and study for her underground mine management certification.
After a career that has spanned a number of countries and a variety of roles, including an as an executive for Macquarie Bank, Sandra has for the past three years managed Cement Australia’s East End Mine at Mount Larcom near Gladstone. The 3.5million tonne per annum mine supplies limestone, alumina and silica for the company’s Fisherman’s Landing cement plant.
Sandra has also managed a very busy family life, helping her husband raise three sons and two step daughters, while also managing to contribute significantly to the communities in which she has lived and worked.
‘These awards form a very important part of our action plan to increase the proportion of women working in the resources sector,’ said QRC Chief Executive Michael Roche.
‘It is important to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and contribution of women in the industry,’ he said.
‘Successful women in all fields of the sector provide wonderful role models for women entering the industry and are some of our best ambassadors.
‘It’s pleasing that the strategies of the QRC and its member companies are starting to pay dividends.
‘Since 2006 when we began our Women in Resources Action Plan, the proportion of women in ‘non-traditional’ roles has increased from 6 percent to 10 percent.
‘Clearly we still have a long way to go, but I’m confident that we will continue to see this trend continue, even in the current economic climate, as women prove themselves time and again to be among the top performers in our sector.’
Sandra, and previous winners Tina Markovic of BMA, Simone Wetzlar of Thiess Ltd and Melanie Gordon BMA are all proof positive of this.
‘I have achieved my career while raising my family for which I am the breadwinner,’ said Sandra.
‘I succeeded without maternity leave, without childcare assistance and without part-time work as these were not available at the time.
‘These are changes to working conditions I have helped to bring to the companies where I have worked.’
There were two runners up for the award, Brisbane-based Emma Yeoman, a senior completions engineer for Santos Limited and Jennifer Mackenzie Manager of the coal handling and preparation plant at BMA’s Saraji Mine in Central Queensland.
Other category winners:
Operator/Trade:
Operator: Michelle Osborne Head Trainer/Assessor Heavy Equipment Macarthur Coal Coppabella Mine Central Queensland
Trade: Julie Griffin Electrical Maintenance Planner BMA Crinum Mine Central Queensland
Encouragement award: Amber Bates
Junior category:
Winner: Elizabeth Bridgeman Moranbah State High School
Runner up was Rebecca Kerr Moranbah State High School.
Best Company Initiative:
Winner: Rio Tinto Clermont Mine
Highly Commended: Thiess Ltd and Cement Australia
(ends)
Further information: Caroline Morrissey 0417 770 893 or 3316 2507 or Sandra Collins on 0429 420 061
Profile: Sandra Collins
Sandra was the first woman to study mining engineering in Queensland and only the second in Australia. And, to her knowledge, was the first female mining engineer to work in the mining industry in the country.
In 1985 she fought for and gained an exemption from NSW legislation that prevented women from working underground so that she could work and study for her underground mine management certification.
After working in coal and metalliferous operations from New Mexico, to Dysart in central Queensland, Mount Tom Price and Dampier in Western Australia, Cobar in NSW and Melbourne, Sandra moved to Pennsylvania in the US to study for an MBA at the Wharton Business School after being awarded a Harkness Fellowship, the American equivalent of the Rhodes Scholarship. During breaks in study Sandra worked in Arizona and Taiwan in organisational development for a foundry and a steel company and in Australia for McKinsey Consultants.
On her completion of her MBA, she managed an aluminium pot-line in New Zealand and a smelter-anode manufacturing plant in Gladstone before moving into the world of high finance to improve her knowledge in this area, working as an executive with Macquarie Corporate Finance in Sydney.
Sandra then honed her operation and management skills while managing a cement manufacturing plant in Kandos NSW and the Pozzolanic fly ash business in Queensland before achieving her ambition of managing a mine.
For the past three years Sandra has managed Cement Australia’s East End Mine at Mount Larcom near Gladstone. The 3.5million tonne per annum mine supplies limestone, alumina and silica for the Fisherman’s Landing cement plant.
Incredibly, Sandra has also managed a very busy family life, helping her husband raise three sons and two step daughters, while also managing to contribute significantly to the communities in which she has lived and worked. And all this without access to paid maternity leave, part-time work or child care assistance.
And, by the way Sandra can also operate loaders, drills, trucks, bob cats, forklifts and graders and is a dab hand with explosives.
Profile: Emma Yeoman
Emma is at the forefront of Queensland’s expanding coal seam gas industry.
As a senior completions engineer with Santos Limited, Emma is responsible for the design and execution of new coal seam gas well completions operations. She manages two of the company’s cavitation rigs.
A chemical engineer with a bachelor of business under her belt, Emma was the only female in the ground-breaking Cooper Oil project where she was the lead engineer for completions. At the time it was Santos’s largest project in oil. She designed well completions that were to become standard across the company.
Emma has also been quick to offer a guiding hand to women coming into the industry, mentoring female vacation work students and new graduates.
She has also been a fine ambassador for the industry, making herself available for events aimed at encouraging young women to consider engineering careers or encouraging them to continue with their studies.
Profile: Jennifer Mackenzie
Jen is the first woman to have been appointed to the role of Coal Handling and Preparation Plant Manager by BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA).
She leads a large tem of people at the company’s Saraji Mine in central Queensland, and is responsible for a huge budget at the mine.
Jen is one of only two women to have held operational management positions within BMA. She has also been appointed as Acting General Manager and Senior Site Executive for Saraji, and again is one of only two women to have managed a mine for the company.
Jen says that as a woman in her current position, she has the opportunity to positively influence those coming after her, and set a standard by which all in the industry should expect professional women to conduct themselves. Jen has also been involved in events to promote the industry as a career for high school students.
She has had a varied career including BHP Billiton’s Yabulu refinery in Townsville, Sun Metals’ Townsville refinery, and Mount Isa Mines (now Xstrata Copper) where she led the team on the George Fisher mine feasibility project.
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| | | Sandra Collins fought for the right to work underground. | |
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